


Taste the Rainbow

by lonesomewriter



Category: Free!
Genre: Awkward Kissing, Coming Out, First Kiss, Fluff, Implied ReiGisa, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 15:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17511419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonesomewriter/pseuds/lonesomewriter
Summary: After Makoto comes out as gay to Haru, the black haired boy starts questioning his own feelings towards his best friend. He gives Makoto a bag of Skittles as a congratulations gift of sorts, telling him to 'taste the rainbow' without knowing the meaning behind the phrase. Fluff and awkwardness ensues :D





	Taste the Rainbow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [onward](https://archiveofourown.org/users/onward/gifts).



> This is my piece for Makoharu Secret Santa 2018!!!
> 
> I was asked for something canon-compliant, and this is what came to my mind :D This is set in their second/third year at high school ^^

“I’m gay.”

Haru didn’t lift his eyes from the mackerel he was currently frying on the pan. He nodded in acknowledgement to make his friend aware that he had heard him, but otherwise offered him no reaction. But inside his head, Haru was wondering why Makoto had chosen this particular moment to tell him this. 

“I just wanted you to know,” Makoto said as if he had been reading Haru’s mind, which wasn’t even surprising anymore. As long as he could remember, Haru had had a special friendship with Makoto, a one where they didn’t need words to understand each other.

He turned the mackerel on the skillet, fingering the bottle of spice in his left hand before asking: “Is this why you’ve been acting so weird lately?”

“I have?” Haru was certain Makoto was blushing, but didn’t turn his face around to confirm it. Instead, he focused on seasoning the fish, his brows furrowing slightly when he saw that his hand was trembling. His friend didn’t notice anything, though, but continued on. “Well, I suppose it is… It has been bothering me for a while now.”

Haru scoffed, accidentally dropping too much pepper on the fish. Makoto chuckled at his reaction. “Haru, you’re the first one I’ve told. I just didn’t want to bother you with this if I had been wrong.”

“You wouldn’t have bothered me.”

“Well, I think I needed some time to think about it alone,” the brunet said, and Haru understood what he meant. He himself usually needed to carefully sort his thoughts out before he could even begin to explain them to others, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t feel a little left out whenever Makoto refused to talk to him.

“But well, I’m sure of it now. I’m gay.”

Haru didn’t know what he could say to that.  _ Congratulations?  _ Was that what people said when someone came out? It wasn’t as if there was anything weird in it, which made Haru feel at loss at how to react. And so he decided to do the one thing he knew Makoto would be happy with.

He turned the stove off and looked at his friend, his expression as emotionless as always. “The food is about ready. Do you want to play Mario Kart afterwards?”

Judging by the chuckle that fell from Makoto’s lips, he was doing the right thing. Haru felt his heart warm up as he watched his best friend laugh.

_ This is how we are; we don’t have to make a big deal out of things. _

*

There was a look of uncertainty behind Makoto’s eyes when he stared at the bag of Skittles Haru was offering him. They were currently sitting on the rooftop with just the two of them, Nagisa having dragged Rei along with him to buy some Iwatobi cream bread a while ago.

Haru had deemed the opportunity perfect to give Makoto the little gift he had bought for him, but was now wondering if it had been stupid idea after all. He had spend the night after Makoto had left thinking if he should have been more supportive of his best friend for coming out, and after a quick visit to the store in the morning, his eyes had landed on the colourful bag of candies.

“Taste the rainbow,” he explained, and Makoto bursted into a fit of giggles. His eyes watered up as he doubled down from the force of the laughter bubbling from deep inside of him. 

“Ha - Haru!” he managed to choke out his name before dissolving into giggles once more. Haru couldn't help but feel his own lips quirk upwards as he listened to his best friend's joyful laughter. He knew his sense of humor was a bit different from others, but with Makoto he felt like his weirdness was truly appreciated. 

“Thank you,” Makoto smiled, looking at the bag of candies in his hands with a fond smile. “This really means a lot to me.”

“It's just candy.” Haru knew it wasn't just candy for Makoto, but he also knew his friend would understand him even if he didn't say anything. 

Makoto smiled softly, offering Haru the bag after he had opened it. “Please, have one,” he said, and his smile turned into a teasing smirk when Haru was about to refuse, not being too fond of sugary things. “Or are you afraid that  _ tasting the rainbow _ will turn you into one yourself?”

Haru scowled, taking one red Skittle out of the bag as he threw Makoto a dirty look. He put the candy into his mouth without saying anything, his cheeks feeling unusually warm under the beaming smile that spread into Makoto’s face as he munched on the candy. 

“How daring,” the tall boy smirked, but didn't get to say anything else when a shout came from behind them, indicating that Nagisa and Rei had returned from the cáfeteria.

“What do you have there?” Nagisa said, ignoring Rei’s noise of protest as he ran towards them, sitting down with a loud thud before taking the candies from Makoto. “Skittles? Aw Mako-chan, why didn’t you tell me you had these?”

He put his hand inside the bag without asking for permission, earning a distasteful scowl from Rei, and a weak ‘it’s okay’ from Makoto. Haru pursed his lips together, not liking that his and Makoto’s conversation had been cut short.

“You guys are aware there is a slang meaning for the term ‘to taste the rainbow’?” Nagisa said after Makoto had explained him where he’d got the candies, and Haru’s heart skipped a beat. Knowing Nagisa, the meaning would be something extremely dirty or otherwise disgusting.

“Now now, I don't think it is -” Rei began to protest, but Nagisa swatted his shoulder with a playful smile on his face. 

“It's okay, we can show them how to ‘taste the rainbow’ if they don't know, right, Rei-chan?” the small blond said, his expression way too excited for Haru’s liking. Judging by the way Rei blushed, his fears were confirmed.  _ It’s definitely something dirty. _

“That won't be necessary,” Makoto interrupted with a stern smile, and Haru’s heart skipped another beat when he saw the faintest blush on his cheeks. “We already know the meaning.”

_ You mean that  _ you _ know it _ , Haru thought, but didn't want to let Nagisa know that he had no idea what the phrase meant. To his luck, the blond groaned and pouted, leaning against Rei in defeat. 

“That's too boring,” he complained, but brightened up when a thought came to his mind. He grinned, throwing himself onto Rei’s lap, his voice an octave higher than normally as he rushed his words out hurriedly while clinging onto the blue haired boy’s neck: “We can still do it! Will you  _ kiss my rainbow _ , Rei-chan~?”

His words were accompanied with suggestive wiggling of eyebrows as he stuck his tongue out to show a yellow Skittle dissolving on it. Rei sputtered, his face flushing crimson as he yelled  _ ‘Nagisa!’ _ , pushing the smaller boy off from his lap to get some distance between them. “That's obscene! We're at school!”

“Wait, does that mean -” Nagisa’s voice was drowned when the bell rang, telling them that the lunch break was finally over. There was a disappointed look on his face, but Haru was more than glad for the interruption.

As they walked towards the classroom, Haru glanced at Makoto. As he saw the blush still present on his face, he decided to wait until after school to ask him what exactly the phrase meant.

*

“What does it mean? To taste the rainbow…”

They were currently halfway on their way home after school, and Haru couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted to know what it meant, and he wanted to know it now.

Makoto took a deep breath, turning his face away from Haru as he muttered his answer. Haru frowned, having heard none of what his friend had said, as the wind was quite strong and had drowned his voice. He stopped walking, and stared at his friend with a demanding look on his face until Makoto stopped too and turned to look at him. 

The taller boy sighed, stepping closer to Haru when he realised he couldn't escape this now. “Well, the idea is that you put some Skittles into your mouth, and then ask the person you like to ‘kiss the rainbow’. You see, nothing too weird.”

_ If it isn't weird, then why are you blushing?  _

Haru nodded, and continued walking, letting his eyes rest on the ocean as they walked along the beach. Although on the surface he looked calm and normal, inside his mind there was a storm of emotions swirling. No matter what he tried, he kept imagining what it would feel like to let Makoto ‘taste the rainbow’ with him. 

He blushed heavily when he realised what exactly he had been thinking, and began walking faster so that Makoto wouldn’t see his face.

_ Why am I thinking of such stupid things? _

*

As more days passed after Makoto had come out to him, Haru grew more and more confused by his own emotions. Whenever he was near the taller boy, his heartbeat picked up as if he was positioned in a swimming board, ready to begin a race.

Haru didn't understand where it was all coming from, but as usual, it was water that made him sort out his feelings. He had stayed in the pool after swim practise one Friday, and while he’d let himself be surrounded by the comforting sensation of the warm water around him, he’d realised a couple of things.

One; he really liked Makoto. It wasn’t surprising in itself per se, as Haru had always liked Makoto, but the intensity of his feelings threw himself aback quite a bit. He wasn’t sure when exactly his feelings had turned from platonic into, well, _something_ _more_ , but he knew it was okay. Liking Makoto was the easy part.

Two; he really,  _ really _ wanted to kiss Makoto. This one wasn’t a given, as Haru had never, not even once in his life, felt such a strong urge to kiss anyone before. He was eighteen years old, but he hadn’t even thought it weird that he hadn’t had any sexual urges of any sort. He had always felt free being the way he was, and so kissing hadn’t been something he’d deemed important. Well, not until now.

Three; he wanted Makoto to like him back. He knew his friend liked him, the same way Haru had liked him for all these years. But had his like, just like Haru’s, morphed into something more  _ intense _ than just friend's love for another? Haru had no idea, and the mere possibility of rejection scared him.

He swam a couple of laps to clear his head, and didn't leave the pool until he had come to a conclusion of sorts. He would ask Makoto about his feelings, and no matter what the answer would be, they would work through it together, just like they always did. 

He wobbled over to the changing rooms, surprised at how exhausted he felt. He took a glance at the clock, his eyes widening when he realized he had been swimming for almost three hours straight now.

_ Well, the sun had begun setting, but I wouldn't have believed it's been that long already… _

He showered quickly, locking the door behind him as he left, and nearly shat himself when he heard someone calling his name from the shadows. 

“Oh no, did I scare you?” It was Makoto. He stepped into the light, rubbing his neck with an apologetic smile on his face. “I went to your house and figured you'd be still here when no one opened the door…”

“Dummy,” Haru muttered, taking a proper look at his friend. He knew Makoto didn’t like the darkness at all, and even now he could see him shivering slightly. Whether it was from cold or fear, Haru didn’t care. He frowned, wanting to know why Makoto had come to see him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly. Makoto laughed a little restrainedly, and motioned for Haru to start walking. It wasn’t until they’d left the school grounds that he opened his mouth.

“Well, you see, I uhm…” Haru waited patiently for the brunet to find his words, knowing that they were in no hurry. He wanted to ask Makoto if he liked him, but knew it would be the best to wait until the boy had said aloud whatever it was that was bothering him.

Makoto sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “You see, I wanted to make this more - you know, uh,  _ intimate _ for the both of us, but -”

“Do you want to come over tonight?” Haru interrupted, knowing full well from the way Makoto was stuttering that he would just end up beating around the bush for the rest of the walk home if Haru didn’t stop him.

He saw Makoto swallowing hard, his pupils dilating as he nodded weakly at him. Haru nodded back, and it was decided. And if his steps felt a little lighter now than they had before, it surely wasn’t because he got to spend the night with Makoto.

*

Haru laid in his bed, staring at Makoto’s muscular form from where he was prepped against his elbows on the futon on his floor. He looked somewhat ethereal, all calm and inviting just being there, his face illuminated only by the dim lamp on Haru’s desk.

“There was something you wanted to ask me?” Haru’s heart was beating fast as he whispered the question, feeling that speaking aloud would break the tender atmosphere that was floating in the room.

Makoto’s face flushed, and Haru tensed slightly.

_ He looks so beautiful _ … 

“It's uh,” Makoto bit his lips, refusing to meet Haru’s eyes. The black haired boy feared that at this rate his poor heart would fail, as Makoto kept getting more and more  _ adorable _ by every second that passed. How could he have not realised how handsome he was before?

“It's embarrassing, really,” Makoto finally said, clearing his throat as he sat up, taking a deep breath before finally turning to lock his eyes with Haru. “I've been thinking of it ever since you gave me those Skittles the other day…”

Haru’s breath hitched in his throat, and suddenly he was very aware of the way he laid on the bed. He sat up, just barely managing to keep his face neutral and his blush under control. “What have you been thinking?”

Makoto shook his head, laughing a little as he dropped his eyes to his knees. “You'll probably think I'm disgusting…”

Haru scoffed, feeling slightly irritated at his friend for thinking he could ever think he was disgusting. “You are not.”

Makoto smiled, and Haru didn't like how miserable he looked. “But you don't even know what I want to ask you to do!”

“It doesn't matter.”

Makoto laughed, but Haru had the feeling he didn't believe him. “Well, if you're sure you want to hear it - I really want to kiss you.”

Haru’s brain short circuited. He could only stare at his friend, the whispered words echoing in his mind as the deepest of blushes spread to his cheeks. 

_ Makoto wanted to - he wanted to  _ kiss  _ him?!  _

“It's okay if you feel disgusted, I won't blame you,” Makoto said in a neutral tone after Haru had stayed quiet for a moment. “I know you're not gay and all, but you know, I just can't help my feelings? And I thought it wouldn't be fair to pretend they didn't exist. So, I've finally told you.”

He took a deep breath before adding in a small voice: “You know, I can go home now, I'm sure you don't want someone like me sleeping next to you…”

“No!” Haru said firmly, jumping from his bed to grab Makoto by the arm, his heart jumping to his throat as he felt how warm his friend was. “I don't want to hear you talk that way about yourself.”

“Haru…”

“No, let me speak,” Haru said, his hand holding Makoto’s trembling arm as he prepared himself to say aloud the feelings he'd tried to sort out for these past few days. “I don't care about being gay or not. It doesn't matter to me.”

_ That's not what I wanted to say… _

Makoto smiled widely, finally relaxing. Haru was distracted by the brightness of his smile for a moment, and nearly forgot what he was supposed to be doing. 

“That's sweet of you, Haru,” Makoto said, and Haru scowled. Now Makoto thought he was just being supportive! 

“What I wanted to say -” he began, but paused to think of what exactly it was that he wanted to say.  _ That he was in love with Makoto?  _

“I don't think I'm gay,” he said slowly, looking at Makoto, pressing every word so that he wouldn't be misunderstood. “But I don't think that I am straight either. I'm not really interested in those kinds of things really. I just want to be free…”

“And that's a good thing,” Makoto said, smiling fondly at his friend. “I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Haru-chan.”

Haru turned his nose up at the nickname, but let it slip this time. Instead, he chose to continue explaining Makoto just how important he was to him. “But the thing is - You make me free, Makoto.”

Haru could feel the way the other boy inhaled sharply, his whole body shaking against Haru’s hand as his words registered in his brain. His voice came out strained as he pressed his hand to Haru’s, his eyes dilated and breathing shallow. “What do you mean by that, Haru?”

“That you make me feel free,” Haru repeated. “Just like water does. Or racing against Rin. But at the same time, not like that at all. Those things make me free, yes, but you give meaning to being free. It's like you said back then; it’s all meaningless without you.”

“Haru,” Makoto choked, and pulled the smaller boy into a tight embrace. Haru closed his eyes and leaned into those strong arms, inhaling in the comforting scent that filled his sinuses.

“Do you have any Skittles left?” Haru asked after he'd enjoyed the hug for a few minutes. He didn't want to part just yet, but would be willing to sacrifice the comfort if it meant he could get to kiss Makoto instead.

Makoto’s voice trembled when he answered. “Ha - Haru? Does this mean -”

“Yes.”

Makoto gulped, and Haru couldn't help but grin at the reaction. The brunet laughed. “Aah, the funny thing is…”

He disentangled himself from under Haru, for which the black haired boy gave out a noise of complaint. Makoto giggled at his expression, but promised to be back soon as he went to rummage through his bag. Haru perked his head up, trying to see what his friend was looking for. 

He blushed when he saw an unopened bag of Skittles in Makoto’s hands as he turned around. “I uh - I was about to suggest we could do the whole ‘kiss the rainbow’ thing, but in the end I was too afraid to suggest it. I uhm, I didn't think you'd actually want to kiss me…”

“Dummy,” Haru whispered, the blush on his face giving away his true feelings. “You shouldn't assume.”

Makoto beamed at him, and sat down next to him, opening the bag of Skittles with shaking fingers. Haru stared at him intently, losing his eyes to the way his hands dived inside the bag to take out some candies. 

Makoto looked up, offering Haru a carefully picked blue one while he took a green one himself. When Haru took the candy, Makoto locked eyes with him, looking serious all of a sudden. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Haru nodded firmly, and put the candy on his tongue, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. He was almost sure that Makoto would be able to hear it, but then the taller boy smiled and put the blue Skittle to his mouth, and all Haru could think of was the kiss that was coming. 

Makoto inched forwards, and Haru leaned closer to him, shuffling to make him room. They only stopped when Haru was sitting in Makoto’s lap, their lips almost touching. Haru could even count his friend’s every eyelash, so close they were. Makoto blinked, his breath tickling against Haru’s skin, making shivers run down his spine.

“Haru…” he whispered, his voice low and thick. “Will you kiss my rainbow?”

Haru didn't bother answering, but instead pressed his lips against Makoto’s. He opened his mouth to let his tongue slip straight inside, and closed his eyes. When Makoto’s tongue started moving against his, Hau felt like he was choking. The sugary taste of the Skittles mixing with saliva made him draw back, spitting the wretched candy onto the floor with loud coughs.

His face must've reflected how nasty it had felt, as Makoto started laughing uncontrollably at him. Haru tried to scoff at him, but found himself unable to when he saw how happy and relaxed his friend looked.

“Oh my God, Haru, you should've seen your face,” he managed to say between the giggles, drool dripping down his chin while his eyes watered from laughing so hard. “I guess the candy was a bad idea…”

Haru brushed his thumb over Makoto’s chin, wiping off the saliva before it would fall onto his shirt. He looked up, his eyes widening when he saw the way Makoto was staring at him, his face all flushed and breathing shallow.

“Makoto…” he whispered, and closed his eyes when he felt the brunet pressing his hands to his cheeks, gently cupping his face to bring him closer. 

The kiss started softly this time, their lips barely even touching, and heat pooled inside Haru’s stomach. Slowly, Makoto added more pressure onto it, letting his lips taste Haru’s thoroughly before settling into nibbling at Haru’s lower lip. 

It felt nothing like the disaster that had been their first kiss. This time there was no hurry, and without the overly sweet candies, it wasn't too wet at all. Haru moaned when Makoto gently sticked his tongue out, asking for a permission to deepen the kiss, which Haru was more than happy to grant him. 

They only parted when Haru began seeing stars from having held his breath for so long. They stared at each other while both panted heavily, and Haru had never felt so free as he did in that moment.

“Haru, you - you,” Makoto struggled to find words, but Haru didn't mind. He knew what the other was feeling, as he felt the same. He looked at the flushed face of the brunet, and couldn't resist the urge to peck a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

As he began to draw back, Makoto chased his mouth to give him another kiss, and soon they were cuddling on the futon, lost in the soft smooches and more heated kisses.

“Did it taste good?” Haru asked when they had settled onto just holding each other and staring at each other's eyes. Makoto chuckled, kissing his forehead gently before humming. 

“It tasted better than anything I've ever tasted before.”

“Better than the rainbow?”

Makoto laughed and pressed his face onto the crook of Haru’s neck. 

“Better than all the rainbows.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this :3


End file.
